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Taconite plant to receive clean retrofit

Taconite producer Cleveland Cliffs has announced plans to increase production while decreasing air emissions at its United Taconite plant near Eveleth.

Spokeswoman Maureen Talarico said the company's taconite furnaces will be modified to accept a biofuel cube called "Renewafuel," while United Taconite's air pollution control devices will be modified to cut certain emissions.

Cleveland Cliffs recently bought a stake in the company that makes Renewafuel. The company says, when completed, United Taconite will have the lowest emissions per ton of taconite produced of any Minnesota taconite company.

"Sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, and mercury. And then we'll also have better control of our particulates -- 99 percent control, actually -- by putting in this $104 million in investments," Talarico said.

Additional retrofitting will increase taconite pellet production by 700 tons to 6 million tons per year, creating an additional 24 jobs. United Taconite has a mine at Eveleth and a production plant in the nearby town of Forbes.